This invention pertains to hinge mechanisms for mounting the light transmitting door to a luminaire housing and more particularly, to a spring loaded hinge mechanism for mounting a flat luminaire door to a rectangular luminaire housing.
For many years, interior lighting fixtures or luminaires have employed rectangular door frames for retaining the light transmitting refractor in order to close off the open bottom of the rectangular luminaire housing. In most instances, outdoor luminaires have had an ovate configuration and the hinge mechanisms for mounting the refractor retaining ring or door were either externally visible or the contour of the luminaire body permitted unimpeded swinging of the door member from a closed to an open position for purposes of relamping, etc. A close-fitting door frame was generally not a requirement for the commercial rectangular interior lighting fixture since in many instances space between the housing and the door was intentionally provided for either air return purposes or to provide a "picture frame" appearance to the planar exterior face of the luminaire. Outdoor lighting fixtures, on the other hand, have generally required that the luminaire door frame fit rather snugly with the luminaire housing since the outdoor fixture would be subjected to elements such as high winds, rain, snow, and flying dust and dirt particles, which preferably must be prevented from entering the interior of the luminaire.
With the advent of rectangular, square and box-like fixtures designed to complement modern building architecture, a need has arisen for a closure mechanism for these rectangular lighting fixtures which will permit the door of the luminaire to be open for purposes of relamping and cleaning and which also permit the door to either hang from the luminaire housing through a hinge connection or alternatively, be removed altogether from the housing with reasonable ease. It has been found that commercially available hinges for luminaire doors of the type employed in rectangular interior lighting fixtures, although providing the ability to be hinged to an open position or removed entirely, do not provide the kinds of sealed retention that is required for a luminaire which is intended for use out of doors and subject to the various weather conditions.